This study compares direct instruction to two constructivist approaches, namely experimentation and problem-based learning, in fifth-grade science learning in Hong Kong. Constructivist instructional approaches, contrary to direct instruction, stress on students' active role in constructing knowledge in learning. Experimentation and problem-based learning are constructivist approaches commonly adopted in science classes. Research has shown that experimentation enhances cognitive and affective learning outcomes, but mixed evidence has been found in similar comparisons between problem-based learning and direct instruction. We recruited 380 fifth-grade students, each of whom participated in a single science lesson that involved one of the three distinct instructional approaches. Results showed that students in the direct instruction group outperformed both the experimentation group and the problem-based learning group in immediate learning outcome as measured by a short test, while the three groups did not differ in learning interest. Immediate learning outcome and learning interest were weakly correlated only in the problem-based learning group. Our findings may be explained by students’ unaccustomedness to constructivist approaches arising from the unique cultural-educational environment in Hong Kong, where direct instruction is the norm and the curriculum prioritises memorisation and understanding of facts and concepts over discovery processes in learning. This inconsistency with the existing literature highlights the importance of considering cultural factors when evaluating the effectiveness of instructional approaches in primary school science education. Copyright © 2024 De La Salle University.

This mixed methods study explores EFL students’ experiences and perceptions as they learn to write a composition with ChatGPT’s support in a classroom instructional context. Students’ perceptions are explored in terms of their motivation to learn about ChatGPT, cognitive load and satisfaction with the learning process. In a workshop format, twenty-one Hong Kong secondary school students were introduced to ChatGPT, learned prompt engineering skills, and attempted a 500-word English language writing task with ChatGPT’s support. Data collected included a pre-workshop motivation questionnaire, think-aloud protocols during the writing task, and a post-workshop questionnaire on motivation, cognitive load, and satisfaction. Results revealed no significant difference in students’ motivation before and after the workshop, but mean motivation scores increased slightly. Students reported high cognitive load during the writing task, especially during prompt engineering. However, students expressed high satisfaction with the workshop overall. Findings indicate ChatGPT’s potential to engage EFL students in the writing classroom, but its use can impose heavy cognitive demands. To ensure that ChatGPT use supports EFL writing without overwhelming students, educators should consider an iterative design process for activities and instructional materials and carefully scaffolding instruction, especially for prompt engineering. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).

This paper reports a design and implementation of a STEM enrichment programme infused with affective elements designed for Hong Kong students. Specifically, it features a design-thinking approach to develop solutions to a self-selected problem addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Around 30 upper primary school (grades 5 to 6) and 20 lower secondary students (grades 7 to 10) enrolled in the study. Considering empathy as a core value of the design-thinking process and aligned with affective dimensions of thinking and learning, we investigate students' design-thinking development and STEM learning processes while highlighting empathy map as a pedagogical tool. We discuss the implications and insights of offering humanistic perspectives on STEM curricular design, especially for K-12 students. Our results showed that students at different age range were able to use empathy maps to devise designs effectively, despite their varying degrees of empathy. Furthermore, we conceptualize empathy maps as a pedagogical tool that creates physical boundaries in design thinking, making students' mental transitions across design stages more explicit. This study contributes to a better understanding of the educational potentials of design-thinking enhanced classrooms, with the results informing theoretical and practical advice on the integration of the empathy map in innovation-oriented projects. Copyright ©2023 Springer.

The Hong Kong Education Bureau's paper titled "Computational Thinking – Coding Education: Supplement to the Primary Curriculum" published in 2020 has been a crucial step towards encouraging CT and coding education in Primary 4 to Primary 6 in Hong Kong. With technology increasingly being utilized in various industries, it has become crucial for students to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the digital era. Computational Thinking (CT) has been demonstrated as a method of problem-solving that has helped students become better problem solvers and fostered a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Therefore, incorporating CT into Mathematics Education (ME) has become a subject of much research in recent years, especially since systematic reviews have been carried out.In line with the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB)'s proposal, the Hong Kong Curriculum Development Council (CDC) has also emphasized the value of CT and coding instruction in preparing students for the digital era. Thus, the three-year study that has been conducted from January 2021 to May 2023 aims to examine the significance and impact of integrating CT into ME in senior primary education in Hong Kong.This study has concentrated on Hong Kong senior primary children, particularly those in Primary 6, and has employed a multi-phase approach. Initially, a comprehensive review of the current state of research on CT and ME has been conducted to inform the study design. Subsequently, data has been gathered from students, teachers, and schools using surveys and assessments. Statistical techniques have been applied to evaluate the collected data, focusing on establishing the relationship between CTE and ME, analyzing students' motivation to learn mathematics through CTE, and identifying the advantages of incorporating CTE into ME, including its impact on students' mathematical performance.The study uncovered several key findings concerning the integration of CT into ME in senior primary schools

Despite the increasing use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI), teachers who teach at EMI schools encounter significant challenges, such as difficulties in teaching content-subjects in English and students' limited understanding of content presented in English. To examine the extent of these challenges, six early-full and 14 late-partial EMI science teachers from eight schools in Hong Kong were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews on the challenges they faced as teachers of EMI science subjects. A biographic approach was used to analyse the interviews, and the results showed that despite the metacognitive overlap between the two groups of teachers, there were noticeable differences in their pedagogical strategies. These findings suggest that the implementation of EMI instruction influences teachers' metacognition and pedagogical practices. Teachers' frequent use of Cantonese (L1) further suggest that English language skills are not as prioritised compared to the subject content. Further research is needed to investigate the complex and diverse factors that influence teachers' metacognition under EMI contexts. Copyright ©2023 Routledge.

Cultivating students' enjoyment of science is one of the significant aims of science education. However, it seems challenging to achieve this goal in most countries or economies. Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 Hong Kong data, this study aims to identify multiple configurations of school conditions to develop students' science enjoyment with a School Analytics model. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was employed to capture the potential asymmetric relationships and measure multiple combinations of different conditions. Results indicated that no single school condition was necessary or sufficient for high enjoyment of science (ES). While lacking instructional clarity was a sufficient condition for low enjoyment of science (similar to ES). Three different configurations resulted in ES and similar to ES respectively. The combination of supportive school discipline and high instructional clarity jointly constituted a crucial science learning environment for developing science enjoyment in Hong Kong secondary schools. Under this environment, the effectiveness of science investigation was further discussed to enhance science enjoyment. Our study enlightens educational practitioners to improve students' science enjoyment with multiple combinations of school conditions. Copyright ©2023 Routledge.

This paper reports on an exploration into difficulties in junior secondary science lessons taught through English in the largely Cantonese-speaking context of Hong Kong. The study was carried out by an educational linguist and a science education specialist working in collaboration, and identified difficulties through student questionnaires, interviews with teachers, and classroom observation. Understandings of genre based in systemic functional linguistics were used in conjunction with knowledge of the science curriculum to investigate these difficulties. Extracts from lessons and teaching materials on energy conversion are discussed, with additional reference to interviews and questionnaires. Analysis revealed the influence of teaching materials on coherence between curricular objectives and teacher discourse. In particular, complex description detracted from explanations, affecting student understanding of the lesson. Copyright ©2024 Elsevier.

While increasing the equitable participation in computer science (CS) education at schools, most existing studies focus on the acquisition of computational skills and measurements of cognitive skills as the learning outcome. The potential benefits of developing psychosocial attributes in the process of computational learning are of less concern, particularly for the underprivileged youth with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and from low-income family. To improve the inequitable learning in school, the "Project C program" has been developed to integrate computational participation and mentoring scheme through social-cognitive approach for underprivileged youth. The aim of this research is to investigate the psychosocial impact of the program, and examine the interrelation between hope, sense of community, and perceived social support in computational learning. The Project C program was piloted in a special school in Hong Kong under the category of "Schools for Children with Moderate Intellectual Disability," targeting 8th grade students (n = 51) with SEN (i.e., mild autism) living in low-income residential districts, and a self-reported pre/post questionnaire was administered to measure the psychosocial changes before and after the intervention. The findings reveal a statistically significant change in hope, sense of community, and perceived social support through the program, and the relation between sense of community and hope was fully mediated by the perceived social support. Based on the findings, theoretical and practical implications of social-cognitive approach to computational learning are discussed. Copyright © 2023 Springer.

Drawing on Lemke's (1990) “thematic patterns” theory, this research proposes a “Concept + Language Mapping” (CLM) approach and tried it out in an English Medium Instruction (EMI) biology classroom in Hong Kong. Lessons were observed and samples of student work were collected during the intervention with student/teacher interviews conducted afterwards. A quasi-experimental design was also adopted to estimate the impact of the CLM approach. The analysis indicated that CLM facilitated the development of both content and language knowledge.